>From mgold@max.tiac.netSat Dec 23 15:14:27 1995 Date: Tue, 3 Oct 1995 17:18:47 -0400 (EDT) From: Mark Gold To: bettym19@mindspring.com Cc: ElaineHF@aol.com, mgold@tiac.net Subject: New Sweetener list I have two general ideas that you may (or may not) want to consider and then some more specific ideas. General Sweetener Ideas ----------------------- 1. I believe that it is helpful to get comfortable with a number of different sweeteners. You can focus on one or two main sweeteners and use others to add a little variety to your food. 2. I believe that while it is very important not to be too restrictive in a diet, it can be helpful to use sweeteners that contribute to health-building. I won't discuss what I think about certain sweeteners, but suffice it to say that I am a big believer in gradually and comfortably moving towards a healthy diet and lifestyle. ********************************************************************** * NOTE: If you are a diabetic, it is important to work closely with * * your healthcare practitioner when you change your diet. * ********************************************************************** Specific Sweetener Ideas (some ideas excerpted from my resource guide) ------------------------ 1. Sucanat -- Whole cane sugar with water removed. You can get sucanat products mail order from Purity Foods (800/997-7358). Nutra Cane (603/672-2801) distributes sucanat in the US. Also, a company called Florida Crystals seels this product. Still sugar as far as diabetics are concered, but it contains a small amount vitmins and minerals which helps reduce some of the negative effects found in long term use of white sugar. 2. Barley Malt -- Sunspire (510/569-9731) sells a malted barley product. Some people are sensitive to barley malt. However, they may have been sensitive to the malt because MSG is often hidden in the "malt" in processed foods. 3. Stevia Powder -- From a South American plant called Stevia. It is 300 times sweeter than sugar so it is used in extremely small amounts. It is used by diabetics in many parts of the world. You can purchase it from: Cheryl's Herbs 836 Hanley Industrial Court St. Louis, MO 63144 (314) 963-4449 (800) 231-5971 (314) 963-4454 (FAX) email: pawgep@aol.com Consumer Direct 640 South Perry Lane Suite #2 Tempe, AZ 85281 (800) 899-9908 (602) 921-2160 Sells liquid concentrate of Stevia from Paraguay. Body Ecology Diet 1266 West Paces Ferry Road Suite 505 Atlanta, GA 30327 (404) 266-1366 (800) 896-7838 Sells Stevia powder from China. Sunrider Distributors Peter Britos (800) 326-0631 (404) 974-8690 Distributes liquid concentrate Stevia. Abundant Life Seed Foundation P.O. Box 772 Port Townsend, WA 98368 Sells stevia seeds. Richters Herbs Goodwood, ON L0C 1A0, Canada Tel +1-905-640-6677 Fax 640-6641 Info: info@richters.com Catalog Requests: catalog@richters.com Sells stevia plants I purchase Stevia from Consumer Direct listed above. I haven't tried any of the other vendor. I like the Stevia concentrate in liquid for as it seems easy to dispense. Since it is so sweet, one small bottle lasts a long time. The other vendors' products may be as good or better, I just haven't tried them. 4. Fruit Juice If you shop at a natural foods store, you will notice that many products are sweetened with fruit juice. R.W. Knudsen sodas for example taste almost as sweet as junky soda, but are made with fruit juice and carbonated water. So you get the vitamins and minerals and avoid the junk that usually comes in typical sodas. (I know, a little bit opinionated.) Natural jellos can be made with water, fruit juice and agar-agar as another example of using fruit juice as a sweetener. 5. Honey -- It may have contaminents, however, especially if it is imported. Be certain of the source and quality before using it regularly. 6. Rice Syrup and Yinnie Syrup are often found at natural food stores. 7. Licorice Root Licorice root is one of the most commonly used herbs in the world. No serious adverse reactions have been published about licorice root. *Single* chemical extracts have caused serious adverse reactions on occassion when used in medicine or candy, but the whole root does not cause these reactions. See the book, "The Scientific Validation of Herbal Medicine" by Dr. Daniel B. Mowrey for a more detailed description of licorice root (in the Appendix). Most herbalists believe that it is wise to avoid excessive and long-term use of licorice root. Many herbalists believe that long-term use can cause water retention and hypertension. I use it in tea and herbal formulas quite often, but it always comprises less than 25% of the formula or tea. Licorice root is safe for diabetics, but I would not use it as a primary sweetener. Stevia is a better choice in my opinion. As an example, you may want to consider using stevia and also use licorice root, amasake, honey leaf (herb), fruit juice, etc. so that you get variety in your diet. So, feel free to use licorice root as a sweetener, but it's best to do so in moderation. 8. Amasake -- Made from sweet brown rice, brown rice and koji (starter). The koji breaks down the polysaccharides in the rice to disarracharies giving it a very sweet taste. Most natural food stores have amasake drinks which you can try -- or you can make it yourself. Try to avoid drinking too much of the amasake drinks made with almonds or nuts as they can be hard on the digestion. 9. Other herbs -- There are a number of plants which can be used as a sweetener. Stevia is just one of the more popular ones. Honey Leaf can also be used to sweeten teas. I do not know any resources for honey leaf. Perhaps Consumer Direct can help you in that area. 10. Fructooligosaccharides (FOS) -- Another very useful product for Candida overgrowth patients as it supports the growth of beneficial bacteria. It is a little expensive to use in large amounts. You can purchase it from: Allergy Research Group/Nutricology P.O. Box 489 400 Preda Street San Leandro, CA 94577 (510) 639-4572 (800) 545-9960 (info) (800) 782-4274 (orders) 11. Gradually reduce or eliminate: White Sugar Brown Sugar -- Brown sugar is usually white sugar mixed with molasses or sprayed with caramel coloring. Raw Sugar -- Raw sugar is often white sugar with coloring. Fructose -- Betware the "natural" products with fructose. It's not much better than white sugar (IMO). Corn Syrup Dextrose Artificial Sweeteners (Nutrasweet, Equal -- aspartame, -- Avoid these like the plague. See "Avoidance of Toxic Substances" chapter in resource guide for more information.